On petitions to challenge party-endorsed Democratic Mayoral nominee Dan Drew to a primary and on petitions to get onto the ballot as an independent mayoral candidate for the November municipal election, Christine Bourne submitted signatures from the following people:

1. Paul Giuliano, son of Republican Mayor Sebastian Giuliano.

2. Ralph and Linda Wilson. Mr. Wilson is one of Giuliano's top donors. In May, he and his wife Linda Wilson donated the maximum allowable contribution of $1,000 each to Giuliano's campaign. They have also donated thousands of dollars to Giuliano in each of the last three election cycles.

3. Debra Milardo, the City of Middletown personnel director and one of Giuliano's closest advisors.

"Why are Seb Giuliano's family, donors, and friends helping someone who presumably wants to challenge him?" said Democratic Town Committee Chairwoman Lisa Santangelo. "The answer is because, by helping Christine, they help Seb."

"This is an attempt to sabotage the Drew campaign by spending money in a primary and then splitting the Democratic vote in the general election," Santangelo said.

This explains why the following things happened during the Democratic Party nomination process:

·She was quoted as saying that she asked for the blessing and advice of the current Republican mayor as to whether she should run for the office he holds. When a candidate runs for office, it is because he or she feels the incumbent is not doing a good enough job. If Mrs. Bourne feels Mr. Giuliano is not doing a good enough job, why did she seek his advice before deciding whether to challenge him?

·Mrs. Bourne is a longtime Democratic Town Committee and Democratic State Central Committee member and knows the process required to seek nomination for the office of Mayor of the City of Middletown. She never indicated her interest to run for mayor during the Democratic Town Committee nomination process.

·The only reason Mrs. Bourne has given for running is that she always wanted to be mayor. She has not stated any goals she wishes to achieve nor listed any reasons she believes she should oust the current Republican mayor.

“Does she believe the current Republican mayor should not be re-elected?” Santangelo said. “I believe the people who signed her petition have answered that question.”

9 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Why do they care who signed her petition to get on the ballot. This is the same party that threw her off the ticket for City Treasurer where she has been for 16 years. Why because she didn't shut up when told too. Whet they should worry about is that she got enough signatures from democrats in the city to primary Dan Drew. That means democrats in the city aren't in lock step with the Democratic town committee. What a shock.

WHO CARES! So what? if this is true and it sounds far fetched - even if it is its not illegal- it's actually a quite clever political move to split the votes. I honestly don't care who thought of it or where it originated from. All's fair in love and war, and politics.

Petitions signed to place someone on a ballot or to force a primary need to be public. Just as how you register to vote is public information. It is a good thing that our founding fathers were not afraid to sign petitions... otherwise we would be flying a different flag. The above comments remind me of the scary stories we tell kids... be careful of the monster in the closest. Did anyone ask if some of those who signed felt pressured to do so? With signatures requested outside of city hall as staff was leaving work and their boss standing there as the request was made? As for the 16 years... what entitles someone to retain the Treasurer's job at all. It is a party endorsement voted on by the voters. If she wanted it so much, why didn't she primary for that job?

Two things:1. When did the Eye become the PR Newswire? Enough with the verbatim press releases. Honestly, it was sheer stupidity on the Democrats part to even compose this press release because it makes them look petty and foolish. Eye-writers, why not craft an actual news story around this instead of hitting copy/paste?

2. This similar BS was done to Ralph Nader a few years ago. Remember all those so called "republican" signatures on his petitions? I for one would like to see more than one name on a primary ballot. That being said, who is this Bourne? I've never heard of her and have never been approached by her or any of her people concerning the primary. Are the dems implying that she's some kind of Giuliano operative?

Why doesn't the EYE do a story on all of the candidates, why they're running, why the candidates think the public should support them, etc. Educate and inform the citizens of Middletown. That's the only reason I read this blog - and lately it hasn't done much of anything on the political front except highlight babyish infighting at city hall and confusing political arguments. Rant over.

Jennifer- you seem like you have great things to say, unfortunately in speaking with some other Eye folks, we haven't figured out how to find you- please send an email to the Eye- love to hear more from you :)

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